The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1887-12-16
HERALDRY IN AMERICA.
NOTES MADE IN A METROPOLITAN
COAT OF ARMS FACTORY.

O''tss
A,v,,o,~ ~, u., ~.
So.s y. 1A''1s "
fsyns for At-chat with an Author
ity ON tho subject-Bogus Costs Of
Arms.
"A reporter was strolling through a cross
streeo Ihe otner Gay when his attention
WAS uttracted py q sign over the door OF
one OF the basement shops with which the
place aDounded. The sign read:
HAL OF Records-Legal, Genealogical,
heraldlc, Famtly Searches and lnvestiga-
taons maze IN all parts OF Europe; Herald-
~ IN oil It's legal bearings, with full In
terpretatlons; famlly Records OF Dutch,
EurlIan, frencn, German and English
famlnes. fl1teen Years the Foreign
Agent OF the New York College of Herald-
~ Two hundred Thousand records, co.
VOO OF Hugnenots; Antique Clocks, Fur.
n1ture, Portraits and Paintings with Ar
mortal Hearings.
The windows above which this lengthy
legend was displayed were filled with o
collection OF heraldic devices, coats Of
arms painted IN bright colors and forid
designs on large sheets OF paper and
parchment, old book plates and copies ae
inscriptions on old tombstones Inside,
upon the walls and doors, were designs
representing coats OF arms, which were
ascrioed to nearly all the noted men OF
the room were ranged rows OF tall, brass
faced clocks OF the style OF century or
Two ago, and several other pieces OF
antique fashioned furniture. They were
all made after the same general plan and
method OF Communication, being built Of
dark colored oak, inlaid with lighter
colored wood resembling maple. Coats Of
arms OF different families and of various
.nationalities were worked into the In
laying. On o screen were hung several
time stained cracked oil paintings, while
on dresser In the corner was q set
Of crockery very much resembling the
cheap "blue china manufactured largely
now, and sprinkled around the room were
several bits of old armor, rusty looking
swords, yellow leafed books and anti
quatcd prints. The place had the appear
ancc of an "old curiosity shop" but at
the same time there was an air of SINH
larity and uniformity in the contents Of
the room that could not but suggest the
possibility of the various articles having
come from the same factory, and having
been turned out within the last decade.
The similarity OF the clocks was particu-
larly startling. The genius who presided
in this abode Of questionable antiquity
was bald headed, deaf little man, who
seemed to be full OF all kinds of heraldic
lore, but ratified his stories of as though
he lad learned them by heart from q CYCLIC
pelda.
In answer to question as to where all
these antique articles came from, the re-
nOrtqr VVa2 informed that tho DrOnriofnp
had drought them over with him" the
last time he visited Holland. There
said he, pointing to one of the clocks, "is
q Verplanck clock. ] found it the last
time was over. was walking along
the streets OF Amsterdam and noticed the
escutcheon OF the family built into the
wall of an old house. I got permission
to go up into the attic, and up In the cock.
loft-between the attic and the roof
found this old clock. 1t was covered with
beeswax and dirt. bought it, and
brought it home and fixed 1t up. There
| Is Van Horne clock; here is an Astor
clock; here'-
| "How do you get hold Of your coats of
arms?" inquired the reporter, raising his
voice to make the little man hear him.
"Do you find those in the cocklofts, too"
"They are all the result Of careful In
yestigation," replied the little man. ''I
have in my possession over zoo, 600 records
of all the leading families in America,
900 of Huguenots, and over 10000
copies Of inscriptions on tonlbstones ia
Holland and different parts of Europe. 1
have them oil alphabetically arranged,
and can lay my hand on any one Of them
In minute"
DO you have much call for the results
Of your investigation was asked.
ooh, yes; my business is very good"
replied the little man. II supply coats Of
arms to all the principal families In New
York. They come to me and want me to
look up the history of their family and
paint their coat Of arms for them. have
such large number of records that can
almost always find it for them. y
But what do you do in case they have
no coat of arms2" asked the reporter.
ooh, well, in that case" replied the lit
tie man, s'there is no law to hinder man
from adopting one. Sometimes people
don't like the colors of tho coats that be.
long to them, and want me to paint them
In different colors. OF course In that case
can only give them certificate that il
is painted like copy shown"
The reporter having become interested
In the little deaf mans prattle, concluded
to make a few further inquiries on the
subject, and see if the heraldry business
was in such hourishing condition as he
represented it. With this object he called
upon N1r. Edward Vermont, the we'll
known editor Of the book entitled Gamer
lea Heraldica," and one Of the best
nuthoritieson the subject in the country.
Mr. Vermont was found and expressed
himself as very ready to talk. upon the
subject.